One of my friends shared this article from Business Insider on Facebook just as I was uploading my photos:
Abercrombie & Fitch Refuses To Make Clothes For Large Women
Teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch doesn’t stock XL or XXL sizes in women’s clothing because they don’t want overweight women wearing their brand. They want the “cool kids,” and they don’t consider plus-sized women as being a part of that group. Abercrombie is sticking to its guns of conventional beauty, even as that standard becomes outdated.
Contrast Abercrombie with H&M, another favorite with the teen set, who just subtly introduced a plus-sized model in its latest swimwear collection. H&M has a plus-sized line. American Eagle, Abercrombie’s biggest competitor, offers up to size XXL for men and women.
Abercrombie doesn’t even list women’s XL or XXL on its size chart. Its largest women’s pants are a size 10, while H&M’s standard line goes up to a size 16, and American Eagle offers up to 18. It’s not surprising that Abercrombie excludes plus-sized women considering the attitude of CEO Mike Jeffries, said Robin Lewis, co-author of The New Rules of Retail and CEO of newsletter The Robin Report.
“He doesn’t want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people,” Lewis told Business Insider. “He doesn’t want his core customers to see people who aren’t as hot as them wearing his clothing. People who wear his clothing should feel like they’re one of the ‘cool kids.'”
The only reason Abercrombie offers XL and XXL men’s sizes is probably to appeal to beefy football players and wrestlers, Lewis said.
Read the full story from Business Insider here
Shortly after this was posted, Greg Karber, an LA writer who read the story decided to give Abercrombie a “rebranding” by giving away its clothes to homeless people. He first scoured thrift stores for Abercrombie clothes. Then, he went to Los Angeles’ Skid Row and began giving them away.
Watch the video here:
Abercrombie & Fitch Gets a Brand Readjustment #FitchTheHomeless
There is also a petition going on right now started by Benjamin O’Keefe from Orlando, FL:
Petitioning Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries: Stop telling teens they aren’t beautiful; make clothes for teens of all sizes!
Your thoughts on this issue and will you continue to support the A&F brand?
Till later,
♥ mitsueki
This is such a disappointment. Expect a lot more from Abercrombie & Fitch.
Yes, I never knew That their ceo had this mindset about plus size women!